Handbag



May 12, 1942. J. N. LOWE 2,282,408

HANDBAG Filed May 29, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR bfos e,bh N. Lowe.

ATTORNEY May 12, 1942.

J. N. LOWE HANDBAG Filed May 29, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Josep/l N [awe v J. N. LOWE May 12, 1942.

HANDBAG Filed May 29, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR UBJEPA A/ Lon 5.

ATTORN EY Patented May 12, 1942 UNITED STAT Ed PATEN T OF F 1 CE 2,2sa40s HANDBAG Joseph :N. Lowe, New York, N. Y. ApplicationMay 29, 1939, Serial No. 276,292

'7 Claims.

The present invention relates to hand bags for carrying articles of different weighhmore particularly for carrying the :light weight articles used 'by a woman, and the improvements are readily adaptable tosuch hand bags as are shown, described and claimed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,676,229, dated July 3, 1928 Nos. 1,701,973 and 1,701,974, dated February 12, 1929; and No. 1,732,- 842, dated October 22, 1929. v

General objects of the invention are toprovide a strong hand bag which may have an appearance such as to be unobjectionable to those with decided tastes, and theexterior fabric'of the bag preferably will be of suitable water-proof fabric or'the like and the interior of the bag will :preferably be lined with a colored or figured woven fabric of attractive-character.

One preferred specific object of the invention is to provide the body of the bag within its mouth with a suitable guard which extends inwardly of and around the bag body to the desired extent, more particularly when the bag is provided with hookless fastenings for securing the cover to the bag body, "as frequentls a loose-end of an article 'of apparel, a ribbon, a cord or the lik is allowed to extend over the edgeof the bag body, in which case such elements usually :interfere with the proper action of the hookless fastening, whereas when the bag is provided with such a guard at the mouth, the user of the bag will aim to secure every element of the contents of the bag and which might otherwise project therefrom, at points underneathsuchguard.

Another preferred specific object is to provide a yielding guard at .its inneredge with .means for maintaining the same taut and substantially horizontal so as to be most effective for the purpose above stated.

Another preferred specific object is to provide a bag having a swingable cover with means for restraining the cover from being fully turned back on its connection with the bag, that is, to support the cover in a fully opened position but at an upward inclination away from the bag body, thereby preserving the outward appearance of the bag at the point at which the cover swings. Other-objects are to provide an attractivehand bag which while it has considerable strength and endurance is not necessarily expensive, but on the contrary can besold for reasonable amounts.

These being among theobjects of the present invention, the same resides in features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein Fig. l is aperspective view of the hand bag showing the cover, as opened to the desired position; 1

Fig.2 is a fragmentary enlargement at one corner of the bag showing by single lines the construction of certain features, such as the guard;

Fig. '3 .is a vertical section on line .33, Fig. 2, to illustrate the manner in which the fabrics of the .bag. are arrangedand held together;

Fig. 4 is asingle line View to illustrate diagrammatically what is shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of portions of the bag at its mouth, showing the manner of stitching the fabrics of the bag together in swung back;

Fig. 9 is a broken detail of the inner portion of the-cover-hinging means;

Eig,310 is a broken detail, showing the outer portion of the hinging means for the cover;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on line I 1-H, .Fig. 8.; and

Fig. '12 illustrates a slight modification.

The involved hand bag is made of .any pre- .ferred shape such as substantially square with round corners as shown, or substantially oblong, cylindrical, etc.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the bag body i0 shaped to form the container of the bag is provided with aswingable cover II to correspond to the shape of the body and fit thereonto. Hookless fas'tenings l2, l3 are respectively secured to the outside of the bag, around this however, and to the outer edge of the cover H these extending fully .around the bag except where the cover is mounted thereon. Of course other types of fastenings can be used.

The cover .is provided preferably with a wired reinforcing edge M, the wire being concealed similarly to what .is disclosed in one or more of said patents, and the body [0 of the bag may be similarly Wire reinforced as there disclosed. A

handle I5 is preferably pivoted to the bag body, although the bag may be carried from any other desirable means.

The outer covering or peripheral band I6 around the bag may be of any suitable thin flexible material, such as fabric or imitation leather, and the bottom wall I611 of the bag may be made from similar material as also the cover II. The bag body has a suitable lining I1 which may be of light ornamental and attractive fabric, and each of the four walls of the illustrated bag may be provided with a pocket I'Ia of somewhat similar material, one of which pockets is shown in Fig. 1, the upper edge of which may be gathered together by a well known shirring string or elastic cord. Between the peripheral band I6 and the finishing lining I1, the surrounding wall of Y the bag may be reinforced by a stiffening sheet or sheets l8 of cardboard, fibre board or the like, which preferably extend the full depth of the bag and entirely around the surrounding wall, as disclosed in the patents hereinbefore mentioned.

Within its mouth the bady body III is provided with a guard I9 which preferably extends entirely around the bag body more or less in the nature of an inward ledge or lip. This guard I9 is intended to indicate to the user of the bag that if it is provided with hookless fastenings such as l2, I3, the contents of the bag shouldnot extend with protruding portions over the said guard, as otherwise such portions are liable to interfere with the proper operation of the hookless fastenings. Such guard may be of reasonable width, say one-half an inch or three-quarters of an inch, but such dimension is not intended to bee fixed one. The said guard I9 is preferably composed of a strip of suitable woven fabric or the like. The strip of fabric l9 forming the guard is preferably folded lengthwise so as to provide a pocket extending throughout the length of the guard. Such pocket receives a preferably endless sustaining line which may be formed from a cord, wire or the like 2| which extends just within the fold of the guard or strip I9 and is suitably strained so that it will hold the guard in substantially horizontal position at the mouth of the bag, as shown. Such sustaining line 2| allows the guard I9 tobe deflected when pushing articles into the bag, and when the bag is full the guard may readily be positioned over any members or articles in the bag which are liable to protrude therefrom, with the likelihood of their interfering with the action of the hookless fastening.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 there is shown the manner in which the bag is preferably constructed at its mouth and the means whereby the yielding guard I8 is secured to the bag body. The outer covering or peripheral band I6 of the bag body is turned inwardly and downwardly within the mouth of the bag providing an inturned upper portion 22 which passes snugly over the corresponding edge of the stiffening sheet or reinforcement I8, so as to constitute a neat appearing edge for the bag body. The guard or strip I9 is provided with inwardly folded lengthwise portions 23 which are matched together so that a line of stitching 24 passing through the inturned portion 22 will alsopass through the folded edges 23, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The lining ll of the bag is provided along the edge adjacent the mouth of the bag with a turned-in folded edge portion 25, and over the contiguous portions 22, 23 and 25 there is placed a binding strip or tape 26 of suitable fabric, through the edges of which and through the intermediate parts there is passed a line of stitching 21. By means of the binding strip 26 and the stitching 21 the down turned portion 22, the guard I9 and the lining I! are suitably connected together within the mouth of the bag.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6, there is illustrated the manner in which the said fabrics to be sewn together are positioned for sewing. First the infolded edges 23 of the guard or flexible strip l9 are connected with the edge of the outer covering or peripheral band I6 of the bag by a line of stitching 24, the said guard I9 being positioned upon the outer surface of the band I6, before the edge portion 22 of the band is turned over inwardly as shown in Fig. '7. With the peripheral band I6 and the guard I9 in the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the folded edge portion 25 of the lining IT has applied thereto and over the same and the stitched edges of the band I6 and guard I9, the binding strip 26, all of said elements being then secured together by the line of stitching 21. V

Thereafter the lining I1 and the guard l9 are swung over in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 6, to turn over inwardly the edge portion 22 of the band 16, to position the binding 26 and the lining l1 and guard I9 substantially as shown in Fig. 7. Thereby the said elements which are stitched together are brought around into substantially the position which they will have in the completed bag body. After the peripheral band IS, the lining I1 and the bottom of the bag have been suitably stitched together to form a receptacle, the stiffening sheet or sheets l8 are inserted through a slit in the lining into a position between the lining and the peripheral band, as disclosed in aforesaid patents, or any other suitable manner.

The receptacle or body portion II] of the bag will now have suitable stiffness and resistance against shocks. If the distending line 2| has not been inserted in the pocket 20 before the same was stitched in position it may be inserted therein after the sewed together elements are brought to substantially the position shown in Fig. 7, and then if the distending line be formed by an elastic cord, for example, the ends thereof may be joined by a knot 28, Fig. 8, after the distending line has ben forcibly pulled from its opposite ends in order to distend and pull the guard or flexible strip l9 into substantially horizontal position to extend inwardly. If the distending line is formed by a wirev the same may be put under stress and then the ends thereof twisted or otherwise joined together, but it is preferred that a fine helically coiled, elastic, wire be used.

The improved bag is preferably provided with suitable means for movably hinging or mounting the cover ll upon it, and also the cover has attached within the reinforced edge I4 2. flexible flap 29, Figs. 1 and 8, which is secured to the bag by one or more suitable fastenings 30, which pass through the materials of the bag to the outside thereof as shown in Fig. 11. There is also attached to the bag body, and also to the cover, at the outside thereof, as by a line of stitching, a flexible flap 3|, Figs. 10 and 11. In Fig. 10 said flap is partly broken away. In Fig. 11 the cover I I is shown as having been opened to the position shown in Fig. 8, in which-approximate position it is desired that the cover remain and not fall back entirely. As also shown in Fig. 11 the fastening 30 passes through the lower end of flap 3!, so that said fastening not only secures that flap, but also the flap 29 at the inside of the bag.

Suitable specific means may be provided for connecting the cover with the bag so that it may enemies be swung backto the positions shown in Figs. 8 and 11, and themeansfshown include utilizing the connected ends 32 of the tapes 'of the hook less fastenings l2, l3, as shown in Fig. 10, to movably attach the cover "to the bag. Such hinging means may also include 'a strong thread or cord 33, Figs. 8, 9 and 11, which is tacked at opposite ends to the lining H of the bag and then passes through the flexible guard l9 and into the fabric of the cover rein-forcing edge 14, the said cord alternately passing downwardly and upwardly through the said elements from end to end as shown in Fig. 9. By means of such flexible connections as 32 and 33, the overlapping edge of the cover is positioned close H to the edge of the bag and the cover may swing outwardly or inwardly as desired upon such flexible connections. These flexible connections will of course thus be located between the cover flaps 29 and 3!.

Due to the fact that the guard 19 passes back of the cover flap 29 in a more or less horizontal position when the cover is closed, it will be seen that when the cover is swung back to open the bag to the approximate position shown in Figs. 8 and 11, that the flap 29 constitutes a restraining member to prevent the cover from going back further and that at the same time the said restraining member or flap 29, at points just back of said flap, is deflected into the position shown in Fig, 8, the tension of the sustaining line 2! being overcome by the backward movement of the cover and the pressure upon it of the flap 25. Thus the strain of the weight of the cover and the strain of the outward pull thereon is distributed upon the flap 29 and the sustaining line 2! or guard l 9, and is not alone on said flap- When the cover is closed, the guard I9 returns to its normal position, while pressing upon the inner surface of the flap 29.

It is found desirable to provide means for providing a suitable foundation for the operation of hookless fasteners when such are used, and to this end as shown in Fig. 3 the tape 34 of fastening elements (2 is stitched into the folded flexible strip 35 which is connected at its fold by a line of stitching 36 with the bag body, while between the strip 35 and the outer covering l6 of the bag there is located a preferably stiff backing up strip 31 of thin cardboard or the like. This backing up strip 31 is secured to the outer covering [6 and it extends for a suflicient distance downwardly below the hookless fastening elements I2 and also above the same to provide the desired foundation and to prevent the elements l2, !3 of the hookless fastening catching in the fabric of the outer covering 16. The upper edge of the backing up strip 31 preferably terminates adjacent the mouth of the bag.

This backing-up feature has been made the subject-matter of a divisional application Ser. No. 401,573, filed July 9, 1941.

A slight modification is shown in Fig. 12, wherein the bag body 38 is provided with a yielding top guard 39 which may be constructed similarly to the guard l9 before described. At an intermediate position in the depth of the bag body there is provided a substantially horizontal partition 40 having a central opening 4|. Such partition separates the bag into two compartments, and it is preferred that this partition be also constructed similarly to the guard l9 before described, although it is of considerably greater width than the guard 39 at the top of the bag.

Obviously the invention is susceptible of modifi'cati'on which does not depart from the scope of the claims. I

What I claim as new is: r

l. -A hand bag or the like, including a bag body, a cover swingably connected along one edge with the bag, a flexible restraining member attached to the inner surfaces of the bag and the cover, at points inwardly of the connection :for the cover, and tending to hold the cover in a raised position, and pressure means located within the mouth of the bag and bearing on said member at the side nearest the bag body at a point near that where said "flap is attached to the cover, for holding the cover in a partially raised position when it is swung back, the pressure means acting to ease the strain imposed by the Weight of the cover upon the restraining member.

2. A hand bag or the like,'-including a bag body, a cover swingably connected along one edge with the bag, a flexible restraining flap attached to the inner' surfaces of the bag and the cover, at points inwardly of the connection for the cover, and a yielding, tensionabl'e pressure device consisting of a guard located within and extending around the mouth of the bag, and projecting inwardly of and along the bag, a portion of said device passing behind and deflectable by said restraining member and engaging the same at a point near that where said flap is attached to the cover, to hold the cover in a partially raised position when the cover is swung back, the pressure means acting to ease the strain imposed by the Weight of the cover upon the restraining member.

3. A hand bag or the like, including a bag body having a mouth, a cover, hookless fastenings on the outside of the bag extending partly around the mouth and cover, a yielding guard located at and within the mouth, and extending inwardly ofand along the bag body and in a plane substantially and normally parallel with the planeof the mouth, and separate yielding means within the guard distending the guard and restoring it to its normal position whenever released from pressure, said guard having a substantially smooth outer surface and serving to secure the contents of the bag from interfering with the action of the hookless fastenings.

4. A hand bag or the like, including a bag body shaped to form the article-container of the bag and provided with a peripheral band of flexible material, reinforcing means at the inner surface of the band and extending along the same substantially throughout its area, an edge-portion of the band turned over the adjacent edge of the reinforcing means and into the mouth of the bag, such portion extending along the length of the band, a strip of flexible material folded lengthwise, and the outer edges of the strip secured to and along said in-turned edge-portion, and the fold forming a free edge on the strip, the strip extending around the bag in the mouth thereof, and yielding straining means for the strip, located in its said fold and spaced out of contact with the turned-in edge-portion of the peripheral band, such straining means retaining the strip in normal position substantially parallel with the mouth of the bag.

5. A hand bag or the like, including a bag body shaped to form the article-container of the bag and provided with a peripheral band of flexible material, reinforcing means at the inner surface of the band and extending along the same substantially throughout'its area, an edge-portion of the band turned over the adjacent edge of the reinforcing means and into the mouth of the bag, such portion extending along the length of the band, a bag lining, a strip of flexible material folded lengthwise and secured at its outer edges to and between the lining and the inturned edge-portion, and the fold forming a free edge on the strip, the strip extending around the bag in the mouth thereof, and yielding straining means for the strip, located in its said fold and spaced out of contact with the turned-in edgeportion of the peripheral band and the lining, such straining means retaining the strip in normal position substantially parallel with the mouth of the bag.

6. A hand bag or, the like, including a bag body shaped to form the article-container of the bag and provided with a peripheral band of flexible material reinforcing means at the inner surface of the band and extending along the same substantially throughout its area, an edge-portion of the band turned over the adjacent edge of the reinforcing means and into the mouth of the bag, such portion extending along the length of the band, and a strip of flexible material secured along said in-turned edge-portion and extending around the bag and projecting inwardly thereinto at the mouth thereof, substantially in the plane of the mouth, and yieldable straining means at the inward edge of the strip and out of contact with the bag body to hold the strip distended inwardly in said plane.

7. A hand bag or the like, including a bag body having a mouth, and a yielding guard located within the mouth, and extending and secured lengthwise along and around the inner surface of the bag body substantially in the plane of the mouth, and projecting inwardly from the bag body, the guard comprising a flexible strip folded longitudinally and secured at its edges to the bag body to provide a pocket in the strip, and a distending or straining cord-like element extending within and throughout the length of the pocket, such element located in the fold of the strip and out of contact with the bag body to maintain the strip in substantially the plane of the mouth.

JOSEPH N. LOWE. 

